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A secondary meaning of Old English ealu, the ancestor of Modern English ale, was “feast, banquet,” at which the drinking of ale was a prominent activity. There were a number of these feasts and banquets that survived into the 19th century, but the oldest and best-established was the bride-ale, or wedding feast, attested in Old English as brydealu. In Middle English the ale half of the word had lost its stress and was associated with the noun suffix –al (as in funeral) and the adjective suffix (as in parental). By the 18^th^ century, bridal was perceived primarily as an adjective, as it is today.
Examples of bridal in a Sentence
Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 28 Mar. 2025
The Atelier from Malaysia will present a bridal wear collection and British label Marchesa holds its first ever China show—on the final day.
—Gemma A. Williams, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2025
Related Articles The launch follows last year’s bridal category introduction, which Cahill said had a tremendous response with a wider audience, expanding from their loyal Gen X and beyond customers to younger, Gen Z and Millennial shoppers.
—Emily Mercer, WWD, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bridal
Cite this Entry
“Bridal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridal. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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